Realizations
by tidalbear
Summary: Kit and Ty are sent out on Kit's first ever shadowhunter patrol. When Ty gets injured in a demon attack, Kit realizes the strength of the bond they have developed. The two will have to trust in each other in order to make it home.
1. Chapter 1

As dusk fell upon the institute in Los Angeles, two of the Shadowhunters inside grew restless. Tonight, Kit was being sent out on his first patrol. He had been training for just over three months, with the Blackthorns mostly. Emma and Mark had taken on the task with gusto, and they pushed him hard. To his surprise, Ty had stuck with him throughout his training, despite the fact that much of it was review for him. He soon found that having a sparring partner his own age was extremely helpful, and that having Ty there made him feel just a little less lonely and out of place in the institute. Some weekends, Jace Herondale, the famous shadowhunter war hero, and supposedly Kit's long lost cousin or something, would portal to LA to help out with his training. Kit supposed there were some perks to having a girlfriend who could create portals, rather than having to hire a warlock. While at first Kit hadn't liked Jace, finding him arrogant and annoying, he had to admit his relative had grown on him. Jace, despite having many character flaws on the surface, cared deeply about the people around him, and it showed. He was also an incredible teacher, patient and kind, but challenging and firm. Kit had advanced quickly under his tutelage, and was now only slightly behind the youngest Blackthorn, Drusilla, in his combat training.

On this summer evening, Kit was to go out on a routine patrol for the first time, accompanied by Ty. It had quickly become clear that they were going to be fighting partners, as well as close friends. They were to drive downtown and make their way on foot around the standard patrol route, using sensors to search for demon activity, and to call for backup if they came across anything they couldn't handle. They were to return to the institute at dawn.

Kit walked into the entryway to find Ty standing with his back to Kit, waiting. As Kit and Ty had bonded over the past few months, Kit had learned to read Ty's body language.

Ty was different from other shadowhunters. He experienced the world more intensely, and sometimes became overwhelmed by it. Unlike many shadowhunters, Kit didn't think this was wrong or unnatural. Ty was just as much a fully functioning and intelligent person as the rest of them, in fact, much more intelligent. Genius level. He just needed people who understood him to be around to support him when he started to have trouble processing things.

Tonight, Ty was exhibiting all of his typical signals of anxiety. He had his headphones on, dulling his senses to the world with music. His hands fluttered by his sides, occasionally tapping out patterns and beats on his legs. His shoulders were tense, his head bent.

Kit walked around to Ty's front, not touching him until he was sure Ty could see him. Then he reached out and took Ty's hand, and held it tightly in both of his, pressing down firmly. Kit knew that being touched by most people caused Ty anxiety, but physical contact from the small circle of people he trusted was an important tool to calm him. Lately, Kit had become one of those people.

"You ready to go?" Kit asked.

"Yes, let's go. You have the extra weapons? Is the cellphone fully charged? Did you bring a stele?" Ty blurted the questions one after the other. Kit knew he was nervous for his sake. Ty had been on many patrols before.

"Ty, yes. I checked and double checked. It's a routine patrol, even if it is my first. Everything is going to be fine."

Little did he know what the dark, hot, heavy LA night had in store for them.

The pair headed out in the institute's old jeep. Kit drove, as Ty preferred not to drive if he could avoid it.

They travelled mostly in companionable silence, but after a bit, Ty began to theorize on what type of demons they were likely to meet.

"I've been working on something. By collecting data from shadowhunter report of demon attacks going back twenty years, I've identified several trends. It seems that different demons are more likely to appear at different times of the year."

Kit listened intently. He knew that many people outside the Blackthorn family thought Ty wasn't worth listening to, that he could not be a genius because of his "otherness". But Kit knew better. Ty was a puzzle solver. His brain made sense of even the most obscure of patterns.

"For example," Ty continued, "94% of greater demon attacks have happened in the month of July. So statistically, we are unlikely to meet a greater demon tonight. However, it's September, and 80% of demon attacks in September are pack attacks, that is to say three or more. Therefore, we are likely to come upon a pack of demons tonight." Ty finished with a satisfied smile, which slowly morphed into rather ill expression as he realized the implications of his words.

Kit on the other hand was impressed.

"Ty, this discovery is huge. Having these statistics would be incredibly useful to the shadowhunters. Have you thought about writing to the clave? You could publish them and have them distributed to all shadowhunters." Kit said.

Ty's face lit up, and it made Kit feel as though all was right in the world.

"You think so? You think I could really publish my investigation? That people would read it? That's just like how Sherlock Holmes published his research for the public."

"Yeah Ty," Kit replied, "I really do think people would read it. It's important, useful information. You did really good."

Ty responded with a great many very fast words about how Kit would need to help him perfect his foreword and conclusion, and how he had at least another two weeks of checking his numbers and writing an analysis before he could even think of writing to the clave, but Kit had become rather distracted. They had entered LA city traffic, and Kit made for the parking lot behind a church reserved for shadowhunters to park while on the job.

Kit pulled into the space, and the two got out of the car and went around to the trunk to load up on weapons. Ty took several seraph blades, which he shoved in his belt, and handed another two to Kit. Kit still couldn't get used to the fact that seraph blades actually worked when he used them. He had grown up thinking of shadowhunters as a distant, cold people. Now he was one of them. It gave him the willies sometimes.

He turned to see Ty holding a stele and looking at him timidly. It took him a moment to process what Ty wanted. It was common for shadowhunters to mark each other, a fact that Kit was still getting used to.

"Okay," Said Kit, "Give me strength, wakefulness, and night vision."

His knowledge of runes had improved greatly over the past few months. He now knew all of the most commonly used symbols.

Ty took his arm gently. His hands were warm and dry, and trembled lightly. Kit assumed this was just another way that Ty was different. He turned it over and set the stele to the pale soft inside of Kit's forearm, tracing the rune. Kit didn't wince at the burn. In fact, he barely processed it, so hyper-aware was he of Ty's hands gently holding his arm. Ty moved up his arm to draw the next two runes, and Kit tried to conceal his shiver as the other boy braced his free hand between Kit's shoulder blades. Ty finished drawing the runes and passed the stele to Kit.

Kit put the same runes on Ty's skin. He couldn't help but notice the way Ty's form was so slim, almost such that one would think him delicate, and yet, wiry cords of muscle wound over his skinny frame, making him strong. He handled Ty as gently as he was able, unable to shake the feeling that he needed to be careful with Ty, because this genius boy was his responsibility.

When the rune drawing was finished, the two stood in silence for half a second, making brief but intense eye contact. Then Ty broke the moment, looking away, and the two set of on their patrol route at a brisk pace.

The patrol route was designed to cover an entire section of the city, and it would take the whole night to complete. They walked quickly, each matching the others pace effortlessly. Mostly they walked in comfortable silence, but occasionally Kit would point out some downworlder hot spot he had learned about in his past life. Ty seemed in a good mood, smiling slightly and listening contently to Kit's commentary. The two covered boulevards lined with nightclubs, the booming bass of house music echoing out the doors. A few times they had to weave their way through ques of partygoers, girls and boys and those in between, each seeming to be trying to wear less clothing than the others. Ty grew tense when they passed through these crowds. The signs that might have been subtle to anyone else were clear as day to Kit. Ty stopped responding to his comments, and began looking down. His walk went from graceful to slightly clumsy and slow as anxiety clouded his mind and the many sounds overwhelmed him. As they wove their way through one of the largest crowds, outside a popular club, Ty began to stumble a little, and Kit looked down to see that the other boy's hands were fluttering like butterflies by his sides.

Kit felt worry and protectiveness shoot through him. He moved quickly to Ty's side, and began speaking to him in a soft voice. He didn't take Ty's hands at this point, knowing that the fluttering was one of Ty's mechanisms to reduce his anxiety, and that to restrict the movement would only make him worse.  
"Ty, you can put on your headphones. We're going to be out of this crowd in a moment, put on your headphones to block it out." As he spoke, Kit pulled the headphones in question from the bag at Ty's side.

Kit could tell Ty was hearing him, though he gave no physical indication. Neither was walking at all at this point, merely standing in the middle of the crowd, a pocket of fearful calm in a swirling sea of chaos and noise.

"Ty, I'm going to hold your shoulders and walk us out of here. Give me an indication if this isn't okay." Kit continued. With some help from Kit, Ty's shaking hands placed the headphones over his ears.

Ty continued to be unresponsive, and so Kit gently wrapped his hands around the boy's thin shoulders and slowly guided him through the crowd. Once free from the masses, Kit led Ty into a small alley off the main boulevard where the noise was less, and the bright lights merely a glow.

Ty sagged against the wall, breathing hard, his face pale. Kit stood a few feet away, waiting unsurely for Ty to give him a signal.

After a couple of minutes, Ty's breathing slowed.

"Thank you" He murmured, looking in Kit's direction. Kit braced himself to see embarrassment on his face, but there was none, only an expression of quiet gratitude.

"Of course" Replied Kit after a moment, nodding to add emphasis. And he meant it. Helping Ty through the difficult moment had felt right, and didn't make him think any less of him. Everyone had situations in which they froze and needed help, and Ty's reactions just happened to be stronger than others.

Back on their patrol route, Ty was more talkative, as if a weight had been lifted from his chest. He made remarks and deductions about the people they passed in the street.

"Did you know that most people enjoy nightclubs because it artificially creates an environment of close human connection? The dancing and the drinking make people feel as if they are bonded to the others around them. Personally, I can't relate to the desire to be in a box writing with hundreds of other people while sound blasts in your ears."

Ty gave a small shudder.

Suddenly, he seemed to focus in on one of the clubbers in a line-up across the street. He stopped dead in the sidewalk, and Kit had to awkwardly stumble to the side to avoid crashing into him. He took one look at Ty's frozen face, and tried to follow his gaze. He seemed to be looking at a woman, tall and strong looking, in a silver sequin pencil skirt which strained over her thunder thighs, and a white bralette. Kit saw nothing out of the ordinary, and turned back to Ty with a puzzled and expectant look. He knew Ty was onto something that he couldn't see.

"Ty, what is it?" Kit asked.

 **Thanks for reading. Reviews appreciated! 1 or two more chapters to come in the next two weeks.**


	2. Chapter 2

Ty suddenly pulled Kit off the main sidewalk, into the shadow of the brick building beside them. He leaned against the wall, looking at Kit, but, Kit noticed, keeping the woman in the silver skirt in his peripheral vision. He leaned close to Kit and spoke in a low, hurried voice.

"That woman in the lineup over there, the blond with the white top. It's not a woman. It's a Corinthen demon."

Kit blinked, his heartrate speeding up. It seemed it wasn't going to be the quiet action free night he had hoped for.

"How can you tell?" He questioned.

Ty's eyes travelled over the scene behind Kit, plucking out details and signals that others didn't pick up on.

"It's a bunch of little things. First of all, it's teeth are blackened. That's because when demons take on human forms, they are imperfect. It's like trying to forge a famous piece of art. They can't get it exactly right. No human woman who looks like that would have rotten teeth, but the demon doesn't know that. Second, she's alone, and when people talk to her, she doesn't respond. Everyone else is in a group, but the demon is on its own. Its English may not be the best either. Lastly, you can tell by the way it's looking at the other people. It's a sort of disgusted hunger."

Kit whistled softly.

"Amazing." He stated.

Ty bent his head, but Kit could swear he flushed. He grabbed Kit's jacket sleeve and pulled him around the corner of the next street, where they still had a vantage point of the demon, but were mostly out of sight. The two stood shoulder to shoulder and peered around the corner, watching the demon make its way along the line.

"It'll be alone," Ty said, turning back to Kit. "Corinthen demons don't travel in packs. They're rogues, solo hunters and scavengers."

"So we have to kill it now?" Kit said, with a growing uneasiness. He wasn't uncomfortable with the idea of killing demons, but it was nerve wracking, this being his first time and all. The demons that killed his father didn't count, it had been a combination of luck and adrenaline. Here, he was expected to put his training to use, and make a calculated attack.

"I suggest one of us tries to lure it away from the crowd, and the other can ambush it."

As Ty continued, outlining details of his plan, Kit took in their surrounding properly for the first time since they had rounded the corner. They were standing in a dimly lit street, sloping downhill for a few meters before passing under a bridge. Underneath the bridge, Kit could see nothing but shadows. He though he saw movement, and focused on it momentarily, his heartbeat speeding. He exhaled when his eyes adjusted a little to the dark, and he saw the sleeping bag and shopping cart, realizing it was just one of LA's many homeless. Only one of the streets three lamps was functional, and it emitted a faint orange glow which caught the mist in the air, making it look thicker and soupier than Kit could remember. Something about the whole scene gave Kit a feeling like a heavy cold stone sat in the pit of his stomach. He suppressed a shudder as he realized it would be the perfect place for an ambush.

"Kit, are you listening?" Questioned Ty, tapping him on the shoulder. Kit zoned back in.

"Yeah, sorry. I heard you. I'm luring her over here and your ambushing from the roof." Ty gazed at Kit with a serious cast to his big gray eyes.

"It's an it. Not a she. Don't go there."

"Right. Of course, it." Kit tried to banish the sick feeling. It was just one demon, and they were shadowhunters. This was cake.

He peeked his head around the corner to get one last glimpse of their target before moving in, and inhaled sharply.

"Ty," he murmured, "It's gone. Shit!"

He wondered if it was possible that the demon had gotten into the club, but dismissed the idea. It'd had been at least halfway towards the back of the long line, which was moving at a snails pace. Maybe it left? He thought.

As these thoughts flicked through his mind and out again, he felt a prickling chill creep up the back of his neck. His body had processed faster than his brain the very wrongness of the situation, but a moment later his mind caught up.

Ty hadn't responded. The warm presence at his back had vanished.

Kit turned as if in slow motion. It felt like his body was locked in ice, and the cold numb feeling intensified as he took in the scene in front of him.

The woman in the silver pencil skirt was restraining Ty from behind, her front pressed against his back. Ty was visibly straining away, but his movement was restricted by the two-inch long, wetly glittering claws that the demon held against his throat. Kit had no doubt they were coated in some kind of deadly venom. His mind was as numb as his body, and fear and panic hadn't yet been processed. Instead he felt a sort of blankness.

Ty let out a small gasp and Kit eyes locked on his. The numbness and cold rushed out of him as he registered the underlying fear and overlying defiance in Ty's eyes. It was strange how much he could read in those grey eyes. He saw another emotion there two, that he took a moment to place. It was trust. Ty trusted him to get him out of this.

He felt a blaze of hot white fury towards the demon woman pass through him. How dare she touch Ty. Instantly, he was functioning on high gear, his mind racing to make a plan, his body poised to fight.

The demon smiled, her rotten teeth opaque and soft looking, making Kit's stomach twist. She hissed at him, and it seemed there were words in the hissing. While she couldn't speak properly, she communicated effectively.

"ssssI will sssssssslaughter" was all that Kit made out.

He spoke, his voice strong and clear. "Let him go. There is no scenario where you 'slaughter' here. I'm a trained shadowhunter, with runes that allow me outmatch you by far. I could take down three of your kind before you even moved a claw."

The lies passed easily through him. Kit had been lying all his life, it was what his father had taught him to do well. He now discovered that lying in battle was no different.

The demon hissed some more. Kit thought for a moment she was having a coughing fit, and he hoped that maybe she was having a highly opportune asthma attack, and would simply drop Ty. Then he realized the halting, heaving hiss was laughter.

He strained to make out her words through the laughs. "Sssssss good thingsssss there are moressss than three of usssss." She said, her yellowish wrinkled face contorted with demonic humor. Kit flooded with dread, as well as an insane adrenaline rush that made him feel lightheaded as he took in her meaning. He sensed movement behind him and turned his head to see six more demons round the corner and begin advancing towards him, hissing their disturbing laughter. They were all as gruesome as the woman, with flaws that made them inhuman to the trained eye. One man had an empty socket where one of his eyes should be, as if he had missed a piece in putting together the puzzle of the human body.

Kit stumbled backwards towards the Ty and the woman. The hissing was deafening now, and seemed to be all around him, closing in. One small sound from behind him broke through the din though. It was Ty, murmuring a word over and over. No, it was two words.

Kit. Run.

He just had time to think, no way in hell, before hell itself broke loose.

 **Thanks for reading! Pretty please review, it is so very encouraging, even if you just say a few words. Next chapter hopefully over the weekend.**


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